Italian wedding dress designer, Pietro Demita, protested Italy’s COVID-19 ban on large gatherings like weddings by burning his entire 2020-2021 collection.

Demita is the owner of Diamond Couture in Lecce, Italy and he has not taken the ban on weddings lightly.

Speaking to The Observer, Demita said: “I set my creations alight, the fruits of my talent and my artistry, to send a strong message. Because, even if I hadn’t, the economic and political decisions imposed during the coronavirus crisis would have sent them up in smoke anyway.”

While there are no images or footage of the dress-burning, Demita said the ordeal is representative of what the wedding industry is going through.

He spoke to a local publicaiton, La Gazzetta Del Mezzogiorno and explained that the wedding industry as a whole is at risk of demise due to the economic impact of COVID-19.

He explained that he burnt his dresseses because the government’s decisions have “set fire to our future and our dreams.”

 

Image: Unsplash